DIRECT ENTRY REMOTE CONTROL WITH CHANNEL SCAN

Abstract: The remote control (10) comprises a microprocessor including a CPU and memory, a keypad (20) including keys (25) for operating the remote control coupled (10) to the microprocessor (38) IR, lamp driver circuitry (62) coupled to the microprocessor (38), hardware and software, including the microprocessor (38), for generating infrared (IR) signals coupled to the IR lamp driver circuitry (62), code data for executing command functions for operating a home entertainment device stored in the memory. The keys (25) include a SCAN key (28), circuitry for coupling the SCAN key (28) to the microprocessor and a channel scan program stored in the memory for effecting a channel scan of channels when the SCAN key (28) is depressed.

Description: DIRECT ENTRY REMOTE CONTROL WITH CHANNEL SCAN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention. The present invention relates to a remote control for a television set which is of the type that has digit keys for the direct entry of a select channel but no channel "up" or "down" keys. Also, the software/programming of the remote control of the present invention be used in a remote control which has a channel "up" or "down" to "automate" the process of scanning channels thereby reducing the number of button/key presses required from the user. 2. Description of the related art. Heretofore a variety of remote controls both dedicated and universal have been proposed for operating televisions, VCR and other consumer electronic equipment. Typically, such remote controls are provided with a keypad or keyboard with digit keys thereon and some with alphabet keys thereon. In the United States most remote control devices also have channel "UP", channel "DOWN", volume "UP" and volume "DOWN" keys. However in Europe and other countries around the world channel "UP" and channel "DOWN" keys often are not provided even though it is desirable to have this function. As will be described in greater detail hereinafter the remote control of the present invention has circuitry and executable programs which, upon detection of a special "SCAN" command such as by the depression of a certain key, e.g., a "SCAN" key, on the keypad automatically starts a step-through-channels operation pausing briefly at each channel and continuing without requiring any further input, e.g., the pressing of a key, by the user until commanded by the user to stop scanning, such as by the user depressing a key or taking other action. This feature is desirable even for remote controls that have channel "UP" and channel "DOWN" keys since the ability to automate the process of scanning channels reduces the number of key or button presses required to be made by the user. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention there is provided a remote control comprising a microprocessor including a CPU and memory, a keypad including keys for operating the remote control coupled to the microprocessor, lamp driver circuitry coupled to the microprocessor, hardware and software, including the microprocessor, for generating infrared (IR) signals coupled to the IR lamp driver circuitry, code data for executing command functions for operating a home entertainment device stored in the memory. The keys include a SCAN key, circuitry for coulping the SCAN key to the microprocessor and a channel scan program stored in the memory for effecting a channel scan of channels when the SCAN key is depressed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of one remote control in which the channel scan system be incorporated. FIG. 2 is a side view of the remote control shown if FIG. 1 and is taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 1 FIG. 3 is a front end view of the remote control shown in FIG. 1 and is taken along line 3-3 of FIG 1. FIGS. 4a and 4b are a schematic circuit diagram of the electrical circuit in the remote control. FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the steps performed by one embodiment of the channel scan software of the present invention which is incorporated into a remote control which has channel "up" and channel "down" keys already supporting a channel up and channel down function. FIG. 6 is a flow chart of a another embodiment of the channel scan software of the present invention for use in a remote control which does not have channel "up" or channel "down" keys and which effects the sending of direct channel digit commands to a television set every few seconds. FIG. 7 is a table showing an example of a favorite channel scan where the channel digit entry numbers have been set to correspond to certain favorite channels . FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a third embodiment of the channel scan software of the present invention similar to the flow chart shown in FIG. 6 but including a list of "favorite" channels preset by the user for scanning. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S) Referring now to FIG. 1 in greater detail, there is illustrated therein a remote control 10 constructed according to the teachings of the present invention. As shown, the remote control 10 includes a housing 11 including an upper housing member 12, and a lower housing member 14. An overlay face panel 18 is positioned on the upper housing member 12 and has a keyboard layout, i.e. keypad, 20 on the outer surface thereof. The panel 18 has openings therethrough for receiving elastomeric pushbuttons 25, for the keypad 20, all of which extend from and are fixed to or integral with an elastomeric body panel . The pushbuttons or keys 25 are arranged in rows and columns and are identified as follows on the keypad 20: VCR AUX TV CBL A B C PWR 1 2 3 VOL 4 5 6 VOL 7 8 9 SCAN 0 CH CH REW PLAY FF PAUSE S R The manner in which these pushbuttons 25, such as the "CHANNEL UP" key 26, the "CHANNEL DOWN" key 27 and a "SCAN" key 28, are utilized in operating the control 10 will be described in greater detail hereinafter. FIG. 2 is a side view of the remote control 10. As shown in FIG. 3, at a top or forward end 29 of the remote control 10 there is provided an opening or window 30 for at least one infra-red light emitting diode, LED 1. Also, on the top surface 18 (FIG. 1) of the upper housing member 12 of the remote control 10, there is provided another light emitting diode, LED 2, by which information be communicated to the user of the remote control 10. The infra-red light emitting diode LED 1 is held securely in place in the window.30 and is adapted to be aimed at a home entertainment device to be controlled. The diode LED 1 is generally in alignment with diode LED 2 and is coupled to an electrical circuit 36 (FIG. 3) of the remote control 10. The light-emitting diode LED 2 is generally centrally located for indicating when an individual key 25 is pressed on the remote control 10. The diode LED 2 a visible indicator that the remote control 10 is working. If the diode LED 2 does not light when a key 25 is pressed, the batteries may need to be replaced. FIG's. 4a and 4b are a block electrical schematic circuit diagram of the electrical operating circuit 36 which is mounted in the remote control 10 and which includes a microprocessor 38, including a RAM, a ROM and a CPU. The keypad 20 is coupled to the microprocessor 38 by an interrupt line 46, a plurality of switch contact lines 47 and a bus 48 to the CPU. The keypad 20 has input switch cross-points 49 which are located beneath the keys 25 and which are coupled to the CPU for remotely controlling a home entertainment device. As shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b, each cross point 49 has a unique pair of input ports to the CPU, to determine which key(s) were pressed to execute a function associated with such key(s) . A power supply in the form of a battery is connected between a + voltage input 51 to the microprocessor 38 and a system ground 52. A backup battery 53 is connected from ground 52 through the input 51 and an isolation diode Dl to a VDD input of the CPU to maintain the data stored in the ROM and/or RAM thereby to provide a non-volatile system. Coupled to a reset input RST of the CPU is a reset circuit 55 including a voltage divider 56 for causing the CPU to reset and re-initialize itself when battery power is applied. Power is applied to the CPU through the isolation diode Dl to input VDD. Capacitors Cl and C2 provide power supply filtering for the power line. An oscillator circuit 57 provides a clock frequency for the CPU. The circuit 36 includes pull up resistors R1-R5, to keep the input ports and the IRQ line to the CPU at a known state when the keys 25 are not depressed. The circuit 36 further includes isolation diodes D2-D5, providing an "or" logic function circuit 58 for isolating each line from the other while not inhibiting communication to the IRQ input of the CPU. Each diode D2-D5 prevents action in one line from spurious indicating action on another line, while still permitting each line individually to send a signal to the IRQ input of the CPU. The CPU includes an output PB5 to the light emitting diode LED 2 to indicate when a key 25 has been pushed and the circuit 36 is sending an infra-red signal through infra-red light emitting diode LED 1. The CPU also includes an output PA7 to a transistor 60 of an IR lamp driver circuit 62 which outputs a voltage to the light emitting diodes LED 1 and LED 2 for allowing a signal to flow through the transistor 60, and activate the infra-red light emitting diode LED 1 for controlling an home entertainment device. According to the teachings of the present invention the remote control 10 is provide with the SCAN key 28 (FIG. 1) by which the channel scan function of the present invention be initiated. It is to be noted that the electrical circuit 36 is generally of the type disclosed in greater detail in the Darbee et al U.S. Patent No. 4,959,810, of which this application is a continuation-in-part and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The operating program for the remote control 10 which is stored in the ROM or RAM is very similar to the operating program disclosed in the Darbee et al U.S. Patent No. 4,959,810 which is incorporated herein by reference. Referring now to FIG. 5 there is illustrated therein a flow chart of the steps performed by one embodiment of the channel scan software/program of the present invention which is incorporated into a remote control 10 which already has channel "UP" and channel "DOWN" keys supporting a channel up and channel down function and which has incorporated therein the SCAN key 28 which be operated by the user of the remote control 10 for effecting an automatic channel scan according to the teachings of the present invention. As shown, at the initial step, the SCAN key 28 is pressed which causes the remote control 10 to transmit "channel up" IR code. Then the question is asked, "Have three seconds elapsed since the last transmission?" If the answer is yes, the program loops back to the previous step and repeats the just described procedure. If the answer is no, another question is asked, "Has any key been pressed?" If the answer is no the program loops back to the previous question. If the answer is yes, the program is completed and the program exits to DONE. Referring now to FIG. 6 there is illustrated therein a flow chart of another embodiment of the channel scan software of the present invention for use in a remote control which does not have channel "up" or channel "down" keys and which effects the sending of direct channel digit commands to a television set every few seconds. Here the remote control 10 has the SCAN key 28 but does not have the channel "up" and channel "down" keys shown in FIG. 1. The channel scan software/program, however, emulates the automatic scanning provided with the channel scan software and the SCAN key 28 described above in connection with the description of FIG. 5 by sending IR codes for direct channel digit commands every three seconds in an ascending sequence. In a universal remote control the selection of which program format to use (FIG. 5 or FIG. 6) will be automatic based on whether the currently configured remote control supports the channel "up" or channel "down" function. As shown in FIG. 6 the SCAN key 28 is first pressed and either the next channel equals the current channel or the start channel equals the current channel. Then, at the next step, the next channel is set to equal the current channel or the current channel plus one. Then the question is asked, "Is the next channel equal to the limit or last channel?". If the answer is yes, then the next channel is set equal to one and the program loops downwardly to the step of defining the current channel equals the next channel. If the answer is no, the program instructs the remote control to transmit the IR codes for selecting the channel number for the next channel. Then a question is asked, "Is the next channel the start channel?". If the answer is yes, the program loops back to the previous step. If the answer is no, the question is asked, "Have three seconds elapsed since the last channel change?". If the answer is yes, the program loops back to the second step where the next channel equals a certain number channel or the next channel number plus one. If the answer is no, the program asks the question, "Has any key been pressed?". If the answer is no, the program loops back to the second previous question of: "Have three seconds elapsed since the last channel change?". If the answer is yes, then the program sets the current channel equal to the next channel and exits to DONE. Referring now to FIG. 7 there is illustrated therein a table of a list of favorite channels in the order of preference of a user. Here digit key one has been set to cause the remote control 10 to transmit the IR code for channel 13, digit two, to emit the IR code for channel 9, and so on as illustrated in FIG. 7. Changing the IR code to be transmitted by a given digit key to the IR code associated with another digit key easily be accomplished by incorporating into the remote control 10 the software/program disclosed in U.S. Application Serial No. 07/990,854 filed December 11, 1992 and entitled: KEY MOVER. Referring now to FIG. 8, there is illustrated therein a flow chart of a third embodiment of the channel scan software of the present invention similar to the flow chart shown in FIG. 6 but including the list of "favorite" channels (See the Table of FIG. 8) preset by the user which are scanned by the channel scan software. In carrying out the steps of the program, first the SCAN key 28 is pressed. This then sets the start pointer equal to the table pointer for the Table shown in FIG. 7. Then the table pointer equals the table pointer plus one. Next the question is asked, "Is the table pointer now equal to limit?" If the answer is yes, the table pointer is set to equal one. If the answer is no, then the next favorite channel number associated with the sequential entry digit number pointed at by the table pointer is fetched. Then the IR codes for selecting the next favorite channel is transmitted by the remote control 10. Then the question is asked "Does the table pointer equal the start pointer?" If the answer is yes, the program loops to exit at DONE. If the answer is no, the program asks, "Have three seconds elapsed since the last channel change?" If the answer is yes, the program loops back to the second step of setting the table pointer equal to the table pointer plus one. If the answer is no, the question is asked, "Has any key been pressed?". If the answer to this question is no, the program loops back to the previous question, "Has three seconds elapsed... " If the answer was yes, i.e., that a key has been pressed, then the program exits to DONE. From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that the remote control 10, with the SCAN key 28 and the channel scan software stored therein, of the present invention has a number of advantages, some of which have been described above and others of which are inherent in the invention. Also, it will be understood that modifications be made to the remote control 10 and the channel scan software therein and described above without departing from the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is only to be limited as necessitated by the accompanying claims.

Claims: CLAIMS I Claim: 1. A remote control comprising: a microprocessor including a CPU and memory means; a keypad including keys for operating said remote control coupled to said microprocessor; lamp driver circuitry coupled to said microprocessor; means, including said microprocessor, for generating infrared (IR) signals coupled to said IR lamp driver circuitry; code data for executing command functions for operating a home entertainment device stored in said memory means; said keys including a SCAN key; circuit means for coulping said SCAN key to said microprocessor; and, a channel scan program stored in said memory means for effecting a channel scan of channels when said SCAN key is depressed. 2. The remote control of claim 1 wherein said keypad includes "channel up" and "channel down" keys. 3. The remote control of claim 1 wherein said microprocessor and said channel scan program include circuit means and program instructions for: upon depression of said SCAN key, transmitting a "channel up" IR code; determining if a predetermined time period has elapsed after the IR code has been sent; determining if any key has been pressed; and, if not, transmitting again a "channel up" IR code until a key is depressed indicating a channel selection by the user. 4. The remote control of claim 3 wherein said time period is three seconds. 5. The remote control of claim 1 wherein said microprocessor and said channel scan program include circuit means and program instructions for: (a) upon the depression of said SCAN key, setting the next channel as the current channnel or the start channel as the current channel; (b) setting next channel equal to next channel plus one; (c) determining if the next channel is an upper or lower limit channel; (d) if yes, setting the next channel equal to channel one and then proceeding to index the channels followed by setting the current channel equal the next channel; (e) if no, transmitting the IR codes required to select the channel number for the next channel; (f) if the next channel equals the start channel cycle back to (e) ; (g) determining if a predetermined time period has elapsed after the IR code has been sent; (h) determining if any key has been pressed; (i) if not, returning to (b) and at (d) transmitting again a "channel up" IR code and proceeding to (h) until a key is depressed indicating a channel selection by the user. 6. The remote control of claim 3 wherein said time period is three seconds. 7. The remote control of claim 5 wherein said keypad does not include "channel up" and "channel down" keys. 8. The remote control of claim 1 wherein said microprocessor and said channel scan program include circuit means and program instructions for: enabling entering of a predetermined keystroke sequence on the keypad; determining if the predetermined keystroke sequence is a command to perform special function processing to reassign to a key a function of a device to be controlled, namely reassigning a digit key for a selected channel; determining if a function key has been depressed; storing the key identity and current mode into a "FROM" entry in a Key Reassignment Table in said microprocessor; determining if the next key depressed is a mode key; setting the new mode; determining if a function sequence of keystrokes has been entered on the keypad for a valid function for the device and mode selected; obtaining device data format and command function data corresponding to the function and mode selected from the Key Reassignment Table; storing the data in a "TO" entry in the Key Reassignment Table ; enable repeating of the above to establish in a table, including a table pointer, an order for scanning "favorite channels" ; upon depression of said SCAN key, setting a start pointer equal to the table pointer; determining if the table pointer equals the upper or lower limit channel if yes set the table pointer equal channel digit entry number one; if no, fetch next channel number from table entry pointed to by the table pointer; transmit the IR code(s) for the selected channel number; determining if the table pointer equals the start pointer, if yes, exit the program; if no, determining if a predetermined time period has elapsed after the IR code has been sent; determine if any key has been pressed; if no, fetch next channel number from table entry pointed to by the table pointer and repeat the "time elapsed" check and the "key pressed" check; if yes, a key has a been depressed indicating a channel selection by the user completing execution of the program. 9. The remote control of claim 3 wherein said time period is three seconds. 10. The remote control of claim 5 wherein said keypad does not include "channel up" and "channel down" keys. 11. A method of performing a channel scan by a remote control having a SCAN key, comprising the steps of: depressing the SCAN key, transmitting a "channel up" IR code; determining if a predetermined time period has elapsed after the IR code has been sent; determining if any key has been pressed; and, if not, transmitting again a "channel up" IR code until a key is depressed indicating a channel selection by the user. 12. A method of performing a channel scan by a remote control having a SCAN key, comprising the steps of: (a) upon the depression of said SCAN key, setting the next channel as the current channnel or the start channel as the current channel; (b) setting next channel equal to next channel plus one; (c) determining if the next channel is an upper or lower limit channel; (d) if yes, setting the next channel equal to channel one and then proceeding to index the channels followed by setting the current channel equal the next channel; (e) if no, transmitting the IR codes required to select the channel number for the next channel; (f) if the next channel equals the start channel cycle back to (e) ; (g) determining if a predetermined time period has elapsed after the IR code has been sent; (h) determining if any key has been pressed; (i) if not, returning to (b) and at (d) transmitting again a "channel up" IR code and proceeding to (h) until a key is depressed indicating a channel selection by the user. 13. A method of performing a channel scan by a remote control having a keypad, having keys including a SCAN key, comprising the steps of: entering of a predetermined keystroke sequence on the keypad; determining if the predetermined keystroke sequence is a command to perform special function processing to reassign to a key a function of a device to be controlled, namely reassigning a digit key for a selected channel; determining if a function key has been depressed; storing the key identity and current mode into a "FROM" entry in a Key Reassignment Table in said microprocessor; determining if the next key depressed is a mode key; setting the new mode; determining if a function sequence of keystrokes has been entered on the keypad for a valid function for the device and mode selected; obtaining device data format and command function data corresponding to the function and mode selected from the Key Reassignment Table; storing the data in a "TO" entry in the Key Reassignment Table; enabling repeating of the above steps to establish in a table, including a table pointer, an order for scanning "favorite channels"; and upon depressing of the SCAN key, setting a start pointer equal to the table pointer; determining if the table pointer equals the upper or lower limit channel if yes set the table pointer equal channel digit entry number one; if no, fetching a next channel number from a table entry pointed to by the table pointer; transmitting the IR code(s) for the selected channel number; determining if the table pointer equals the start pointer, and if yes, ending the channel scan; if no, determining if a predetermined time period has elapsed after the IR code has been sent; determing if any key has been pressed; if no, fetching a next channel number from a table entry pointed to by the table pointer and repeating the "time elapsed" check and the "key pressed" check; if yes, ending the channel scan.

Inventors: BUYS MENNO F, DARBEE PAUL V, BUYS, MENNO, F., DARBEE, PAUL, V.
Applicants: BUYS MENNO F, DARBEE PAUL V, UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC, BUYS, MENNO, F., DARBEE, PAUL, V., UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: H03J1
IPC codes: H01H9, H03J1, H03J9